Skip to main content

tv   CNN Newsroom With Brooke Baldwin  CNN  January 15, 2015 12:00pm-1:01pm PST

12:00 pm
i'm john berman live in paris along side brooke baldwin in new york. we'd like to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. our breaking news at this hour. europe on edge. just a bit more than a week after the terror attacks that hit this city hit paris, an anti-terror raid in belgium over the last few hours. two suspects are dead one is now in custody. belgian officials say this was targeted against an operational cell operational terror cell that was planning imminent attacks against targets inside belgium. this terror cell was made up of people that had return ed from the fight inside syria. they were heavily armed. police raided where they were. these men came out firing.
12:01 pm
two are now dead one is in custody. belgian officials gave a brief news conference giving indication their investigation and anti-terror operation is still very much ongoing. we have dramatic video of this raid as belgian law enforcement confronted this terrorist cell. watch.
12:02 pm
you can see the fire, see
12:03 pm
the smoke, hear the gunshots in this town of verviers in the anti-terror operation that killed two presidentkill ed two suspects. one is in custody. just moments ago, belgian fishes held a news conference explaining this operation. let's listen. >> this was frame work and investigation looking into an operational cell made of people some of whom were coming back from syria. the investigation made it possible to determine that the group was about to carry out major terrorist attacks in belgium imminently. at verviers the suspects immediately and for long minutes fired using war weapons and hand weapons before being
12:04 pm
neutralized. >> reporter: the news conference from belgian officials moments ago. the key phrase is operational terror cell planning an imminent attack against targets in belgium. this cell made up of individuals who had returned recently from syria. officials had been wiretapping them. this investigation turned up the cell. the members, terrorists came out firing. two are dead one is in custody. i'm joined by cnn national correspondent jim in paris with me. this is in the wake of paris attacks one week ago. jim, let's talk about the raid in belgium. what are you learning? >> reporter: first, to be clear, we're told by belgian authorities it's not tied to attacks in paris. this was an investigation planning for weeks going back before paris attacks. it's becoming much bigger. not just the first raid on
12:05 pm
video. belgian police saying some ten raids and searches conducted in four belgian cities including verviers brussels and two other cities. this is a major national operation in belgium which shows how comprehensive the threat is there, particularly as belgian police have described with fighters returning there syria. as you know john we've talked about this. a number of european countries have hundreds in fact of young men who have gong to fight in syria and many returning home. the concern has been when they return home do they bring the war with them bring jihad with them? belgium has a particular problem. in may of last year there was a deadly attack at a jewish museum by an isis veteran that killed four there. tonight you have these operations including the one in the dramatic video. now ten many total, four cities. right now the casualties we know
12:06 pm
confined to that one in verviers. we know several other operations are underway. a long planned operation. no connection to paris attacks. john is it possible that counter terror forces in europe are taking steps tonight they might though the have without the paris attacks? do they have a lighter trigger finger to go after suspects in it's possible. belgian authorities making clear they believe there was an imminent threat from fighters returning from syria, and they had to act now. >> reporter: jim, kim information here. no connection say belgian officials to has what took place in paris one week ago. a separate operation directed against people they had been monitoring some time several weeks. ten separate raids jim, reported over four cities in belgium now. two terror suspects dead one in
12:07 pm
custody. these men inspired by isis apparently having fought along side terror groups inside syria, returning to europe directed to carry out acts of terror. belgium officials say it was an operational cell planning an imminent attack. now, despite the fact jim, there is no connection here to the attacks in paris, this is now less than ten days eight days after the attack was carried out. officials say there were plans to carry out a different sort of operation in belgium. this does show right now how europe is on edge. european cities in some ways have become the front lines in this battle against terror. >> no question. we're seeing the front lines from the war in syria extended to western europe which has been a fear for some time. there have been attacks before the attacks in paris last week that show had the already.
12:08 pm
certainly it highlighted. you're right. no direct connection to paris attacks. in fact a different group belgian police are targeting. the prime suspect in attacks in paris were al qaeda and caribbean peninsula where authorities in belgium say these fighters are connected to isis an entirely different group. you can say the alert is heightened here. counter terror police intelligence agencies are going to be quicker perhaps to take steps to prevent attacks because they don't want to take chances. of course we saw sadly in the case of paris that all fighters and attackers involved have been known to authorities before. the kouachi brothers famously under surveillance a number of years before taken off surveillance just months before as it turned out before carrying out the attacks. you have to think authorities, because they're on higher alert, more likely to take operations like this.
12:09 pm
john this is a particularly comprehensive one. ten searches and raids tonight, four different cities. shows how extensive the problem is in belgium and sadly for other european nations as well. >> reporter: of course the news conference held by belgian officials was short. they don't want to reveal too much information which led many to believe this overnight is still going on. jim a along side me in paris. we've been covering the attacks in paris from one week ago. the borders are though the as firm or solid as they are in the united states. as soon as we got word of this raid in belgium, people were flocking to television to get as much information as they could. they're very much on edge. brooke? >> absolutely. thank you so much. let me begin with what part of jim was discussing with you. as i do so colonel james reese
12:10 pm
with me and buck sexton former analyst and cnn political commentator. so good to see you sir. let's begin with the point when i heard from the federal prosecutor's office in belgium they had carried out different raids. he mentioned three cities the capital, brussels verviers and another. jim mentioned four in ten searches. when you hear of that what does that tell you? >> that tells me this is a great operation and been going on several months probably. that's the good thing. the bad thing, jim said it. what's happening now is light trigger finger on the decision making process. however, at the security service level, intel, law enforcement and everyone they're pretty good at making that decision. the problem now becomes the political level. the politicians, those that have to make decisions, get nervous and start pushing the gas pedal
12:11 pm
on the operators to say i need you to go now because of what happened in paris. >> we know this federal prosecutor's office was specific saying this group was an operational cell. with that said is you too were saying anywhere across europe they don't want to be paris. >> right. absolutely. the trigger finger of authorities might be easier now. they might want to go forward more quickly with the raid. from the terror cell perspective, they might shorten attack planning tile. >> they know scrutiny and security is up. >> exactly they see what happened in france. there's a pile-on effect they want to achieve. there's a time now to attack to add to chaos and terrorism in europe. they may realize their days are numbered. may not just be the authorities are acting more quickly. cells around belgium may have decided we've got to go now because they're going to make a move on us. >> we're talk cells, referring
12:12 pm
to the one the federal prosecutor's office was talking about. if you have hundreds in belgium alone coming back from syria according to paul cruickshank, it makes you wonder if we're talking ten searches in three or four cities. is this one cell or could be cells? >> we look at the cell and then the cluster. the clusters is the individuals around the cell. those promoting the jihad for example. they're sympathizer. the cell is operational unit those individuals that said i'm going to get the weapons to you or engage in the attack. the cluster is those around them that know about the attack and don't bring it to authority's concern but tell them jihad may be a good idea. >> i have word barbara starr at the pentagon is getting more. tell me what you know.
12:13 pm
>> the united states did have some awareness of this threat if you will threats emerging in belgium. still to be determined how much did the u.s. government know. when where, how the belgians were going to make their move. there was awareness of this evolving situation in belgium. officials tell me yes everything they understood is these were elements, people returning from syria. at this hour tonight in europe in belgium, what i can also tell you is the supreme allied commander of nato who's a u.s. air force four star general monitoring the situation closely. let's be clear, the general heightened awareness since the paris attacks, now monitoring the situation in belgium as well because of course belgium is the headquarters for nato. he is both the military head of nato and head of the u.s. european command.
12:14 pm
u.s. troops in europe there's more than 60,000 of then. now he's in europe monitoring this entire situation very closely. awareness in the last several days has been raised for u.s. troops in europe. they're warned about being on social media. they're warned about and have been for some time about wearing uniforms in public. about being aware of their presence. we know that isis has threatened to attack u.s. troops. tonight general breedlow very much getting briefed on this aware of the situation even as back here in washington word is beginning to filter across all of the u.s. government all of the national security and intelligence agencies about what has happened in belgium. brooke? >> this u.s. awareness, let me ask you broadening this out with you barbara. we talk aboutfighters
12:15 pm
traveling to syria to train and join this fight wherever it may be europe or beyond. how many westerners? i've heard different numbers. do you know how many westerners have travelled to syria to train? >> well, it's a very interesting question. the director of national intelligence office has put out statistics on this. what they say is it's somewhere in the realm of several thousand that have travelled to syria. here's the problem. some of them go onto iraq. very hard to track how many. some go to fight with isis. some go to syria to fight with dozens of other groups that are fighting in syria, fighting against the assad regime fighting against each other. the number of americans is relatively small, 100-150. these are people who have attempted to go, gone attempted to come back. actually a couple have been killed in combat over there. you are seeing increased counter
12:16 pm
terrorism cooperation with the european countries and the united states about trying to track these people. track their passports, track their movement. here's the problem brooke. the big hole in all of this u.s. officials will tell you it's that turkish border. people are going through turkey crossing the border, going to syria. the u.s. is really trying to get the turks to crack down on it. the turks apparently have made the claim they don't have the legal authority to arrest people. that's according to some u.s. officials. a that turkish border is the big gaping hole in trying to get control of this situation. >> that is precisely what colonel reese said a moment ago. we've dedicated so much time covering that. the question remains, what will they do going forward? thank you barbara starr. we have to take a break. we'll talk about this
12:17 pm
operational cell that trained in syria, came back to belgium. massive police raid happening at this apartment building recently killing two of these terror suspects. one has been detained. you know that one surviving detainee will be questioned by authorities. what does he know? how many others could be out there wanting to wage this so called jihad? stay with me. you're watching cnn. push your enterprise and you can move the world. ♪ ♪ but to get from the old way to the new you'll need the right it infrastructure. from a partner who knows how to make your enterprise more agile, borderless and secure. hp helps business move on all the possibilities of today. and stay ready for everything that is still to come.
12:18 pm
12:19 pm
12:20 pm
welcome back.
12:21 pm
john berman live in paris. breaking news out of belgium, the town of verviers a four hour drive from where i'm standing. belgian officials say within the last few hour they staged ten separate raids in four separate cities. one of these raids directed at what they call an operational terror cell that was planning an imminent attack inside belgium. this raid again just within the last few hours. the suspects came out firing. two terror suspects are now dead one is in custody. they've been wiretapping these individuals for some time apparently. they had just returned from syria from the battle along side isis in syria and planning an imminent attack in belgium. i'm joined by cnn terror analyst paul cruickshank and cnn law assistant director of the fbi tom fuentes. paul you've been doing a great job of information gathering on this latest operation and
12:22 pm
significance. you call the existence of this cell in belgium that had just returned from syria a game changer. >> yeah. a game changer because belgian security officials believe this group was not only connected to isis in syria but also suspect this group was directed by isis to come back to belgium come back to europe to launch a terrorist attack in retaliation for the air strikes against isis in syria and iraq. belgium is part of that coalition. belgium fighter jets are launching air strikes against isis in iraq. so very very significant indeed. this would be isis ratcheting up their campaign of terrorism, bringing it to the west and europe. very very concerning indeed. the belgians believe up to 150 of their nationals right now are in syria and iraq.
12:23 pm
most of them connected with isis there. a further 70 are believed to be back in belgium. every month another 15 are going. that gives an idea of the threat facing the belgians. >> paul standby. tom, i want to bring you in. this raid that killed two suspects and took one into custody, we believe this was successful. belgian officials didn't want to give too much information leading many to believe there's still an operation going on. you've been in this situation, front lines of law enforcement. what's happening now? there's a suspect in custody. there were raids in four cities across belgium. what is the situation there would you suspect? >> john to try to connect information they're getting from each of the locations. i think it's ten raids conducted in four cities. if this individual can talk
12:24 pm
fine. he might not. we don't know what's going on with this interrogation now. as far as the others they're trying to coordinate from the other places and also trying to determine do they have it all? how many cells are in belgium? this could be the tip of the iceburg. this is not just belgium's problem. individuals and foreign fighters have come back all over every country in europe united states canada australia. this is not isolated. it's just at the moment, the tip of the sphere is in france and belgium. the game changer if it appears to be as paul has said it's pay very bad sign. >> all right tom fuentes, paul cruickshank stand by. many more questions about the raids inside belgium. we'll be right back. shopping online is as easy as it gets. wouldn't it be great if hiring
12:25 pm
plumbers, carpenters and even piano tuners were just as simple? thanks to angie's list now it is. start shopping online from a list of top-rated providers. visit angieslist.com today. introducing data stash. now at t-mobile, all your unused data rolls forward to the next month. we'll even get you started with 10 gigabytes of free 4g lte data. data stash. only from t-mobile. hi, i'm henry winkler and i'm here to tell homeowners that are sixty-two and older about a great way to live a better retirement... it's called a reverse mortgage. call right now to receive your free dvd and booklet with no obligation. it answers questions like... how a reverse mortgage works how much you qualify for the ways to receive your money...and more. plus, when you call now, you'll get this magnifier with led light absolutely free! when you call the experts at one reverse mortgage today you'll learn the benefits
12:26 pm
of a government-insured reverse mortgage. it will eliminate your monthly mortgage payments and give you tax-free cash from the equity in your home and here's the best part... you still own your home. take control of your retirement today! ♪ 8
12:27 pm
female announcer: during sleep train's huge year end clearance sale, get
12:28 pm
beautyrest, posturepedic even tempur-pedic mattress sets at low clearance prices. plus, free same-day delivery, set-up and removal of your old set. and through monday, get 3 years interest-free financing on selected models. but hurry! this special financing offer ends martin luther king jr. day. don't miss the year end clearance sale at sleep train. ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ just about the bottom of the hour. you're watching cnn. we're over this breaking story out of verviers in brussels. i'm brooke baldwin in new york. my colleague john berman in
12:29 pm
paris. let me set this up in case you're just joining us. this antiterrorism raid carried out in verviers. we've heard from the federal prosecutor out of brussels and have learned a number of counter terrorism officials and police honed in on this one location perhaps an apartment complex, where they had gotten word there was an operational cell group of individuals who they say travelled to syria to train and directed to go back to carry out a terror raid. we know in the wake of the terror raid two suspects were killed, one has been detained. bigger picture from jim and officials in brussels we know that ten different searches have been carried out not just verviers but brussels and one two other cities. just to give you the fuller perspectives. europe is on the edge in wake of what happened eight days ago in paris. we have video of this anti-terror raid. roll it.
12:30 pm
>> buck sexton colonel james reese in new york with me. let's continue this discussion and talk about the fact this cell described as an operational cell. they were imminently about to attack somewhere within belgium. they had gone to syria. when they're in syria -- buck
12:31 pm
let me begin with you. when we talk about training. this is not just how to fire effectively, automatic rifles they were found with this is also operational, logistics. >> they'll have training in operational security. one of the most important things for a cell to learn is how to communicate with individuals when it's multiple individuals, how to communicate in a way they don't catch attention of authorities and don't get stopped before they conduct the attack. there's a whole training that goes into that process. there's a lot learned about how security forces will monitor them things they can and can't do on social media, things to get them flags and that sort of thing. they learn about weapons and making them more lethal. getting training from isis is more likely to be a mass casualty attack versus someone that sees stuff on the internet and takes it upon themselves to launch a one man jihad.
12:32 pm
>> let's make the point our terrorism analyst paul cruickshank has made several times. he said listen this is the first time isis has directed ij haves who have gone to syria to go back west and wage this so called holy war. as we talk about these weapons, my question again. the cell in this verviers raid found with automatic rifles how are these weapons bought and taken over different -- it's tough you were saying in france to buy this stuff. in belgium, it's fairly easy. >> before we get there, this makes isis transnational. this becomes a transnational terrorist group now. now you have the weapon pieces and because europe is -- if you look at it like the united states would be a series of states lined up people can pass through spaces. if you look down southeast, you have the former states a lot of
12:33 pm
weapons down there. the russian mob that does gun and weapon selling over there. then through syria. >> this isn't cheap. weapons and ammunition is even more expensive. where are they getting the money? >> part of the logistics assistance they may get is in syria they may try to bring back. going back to the cluster. you can have a lone wolf gunman a cell or cluster around them. the cluster may be giving money. they may not know what that's for but have an idea. there's ways to raise the funds domestically. they can save up get a few and try to shoot a lot of people. that's not really that hard assuming they have access to the pipeline to get someone to sell them the weapons. >> let's talk about the turkey issue here. you were making the point to barbara starr. here you have iraq syria, north of syria and turkey with issues
12:34 pm
for a long time as this war has been waging. this is the porous border. >> correct. if you look at syria and where the different factions are. this sits at top of the river valley. that's the home and capital of isis. then up in the northwest of syria, we've been doing bombing of the group. you have aqap break away aspect up there with top engineers and everything trying to plan there. then all you've got to do is land in istanbul jump in a car and go down to the turkish border which has great cities great markets. people blend in easily especially from europe and especially the muslim side. they know how to blend in over. >> that's the problem. >> it is. >> turkish authorities are allowing some to cross to fight. so there are some people let through. how much due diligence can be done for individuals saying i'm going to fight? it's difficult to say which side
12:35 pm
they may end up on which is part of the concern. >> isn't part of the issue, your point being that erdogan should be doing more to shut it down? >> diplomatically. nato and west has to put pressure on turkey to say at crossing points when someone comes in with a french passport. they have their border patrols checking these things. they've got to shut it down and say you can't enter syria. >> why not do that? you say the issue -- >> they say it's hard to do. >> you say that with a smile on their face. >> they say our boarder not secure so how do you expect us to have a secure border? i think the turkish go. has been turning a blind eye to it for a while. they have mixed interest when it comes to syria. >> we talk about foreign fighters groups traveling. barbara starr said several thousand have traveled from the west to turkey to train and
12:36 pm
return some of whom presumably to the u.s. how is the u.s. -- she reported u.s. and european intel are talking and very aware of what's happened in belgium. how is the u.s. monitoring americans who try to go over there? >> you can only monitor the ones you know about which is the hole in all these discussions. how many have have to train with the islamic state? we don't know about the unknown. there's certain procedures that might make you get more scrutiny when you come back in this country. ones that don't fall in those categories we don't know about. we can't monitor them. unless you can prove a federal case against them for terrorism or there's a u.s. state they violated all you can do is put surveillance on them. >> brooke i'll tell you with all international travel i do into turkey iraq and regional
12:37 pm
areas there. you would think with my background no one wouldbother me. when i come to the united states they're always asking checking me. they know what i'm doing and they're checking. they work the due diligence. >> gentlemen stand by. we want to take a break. we're all over this story, the terror raid out of verviers in belgium. two terror suspects dead one detained. i'm brooke baldwin. my colleague john berman is in paris. our breaking coverage continues after this.
12:38 pm
[meow mix jingle slowly and quietly plucks] right on cue. [cat meows] ♪meow, meow, meow, meow...♪ it's more than just a meal it's meow mix mealtime. with great taste and 100% complete nutrition, it's the only one cats ask for by name. she's still the one for you. and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than
12:39 pm
four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision or any allergic reactions like rash, hives swelling of the lips tongue or throat or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial. i want...regularity. i want good digestive health. i just don't want to have to think about regularity. natural benefiber helps support digestive health...and maintain...that word. you know what it tastes like in water? water! except this water makes you feel great. benefiber. now in stick packs.
12:40 pm
12:41 pm
welcome back. john berman live in paris. our breaking news. an anti-terror raid in belgium. belgian officials say this took place in the town of verviers a four hour drive from where i'm standing thousand. it was targeted against what they called operational terror cell planning an imminent attack inside belgium. belgium law enforcement raided this cell. the cell came out guns blazing. two suspects were killed, one suspect is now in custody. this was apparently part of a larger operation as many as ten raids across belgium in four cities. this one cell believed to be comprised of individual who is had recently returned from syria fighting along side isis. we get the sense perhaps in belgium the operation is still ongoing. i want to bring in chris burns,
12:42 pm
former cnn reporter. what's the latest? >> reporter: well john, yes, these operations are going on continuing. i'm reading in the newspaper online here they say there was another police operation in a neighborhood in brussels where police stormed a building and could not catch anybody. they got away. the police did find explosives in the building. that is quite disturbing that they are finding other things. there are at least ten police operations in and around brussels as well as verviers today. it came just hours after we heard that police had can connected the purchase of the weapons use in the paris attacks to people here in belgium. there was at least one arms dealer who was arrested and also linked to a market a popular market here in brussels where there are also in some of the
12:43 pm
side street, elicit sales going on. that's where the weapons were bought. this operation is continuing. police said they moved in on gentlemen in verviers because they believed there was an imminent major attack that was planned. they had to act now. so that is why they did that. these other operations happened in and around brussels. there are no further details. the prosecutor's office gave a press conference earlier this evening and said we don't want to give you much more information because we don't want to compromise our investigations as they are now. john? >> reporter: imminent major attack. chilling words. thank you so much chris burns. chris brought up a good point here. our jim sciutto reported earlier, officials say there's no immediate connection between these raids in belgium and terror attacks in paris one week ago. there was one arrest made with
12:44 pm
connection of a attacks in paris overnight dealing with a man who may have supplied weapons to one of the attackers here. this appears to be a separate operation planned against people who had returned from isis. they had been monitored by belgium officials for some time. two are dead, one in custody. want to bring in cnn analyst paul cruickshank. paul has been reporting on this over the last several hours. you look at this as an important moment in the evolution of isis. up until this point, they've been eager to recruit fight hers from -- fighters from the west to go to syria to fight. this is the first time they've sent them home to fight western nations? >> that appears to be right. a counter terrorism official telling me they suspect this group was with isis in syria and directed by isis to come back to belgium and europe to launch attacks. that really would be a game
12:45 pm
changer because isis has not yet directed itself the top leadership any terror plots against the west. we've seen fighters who have been with isis come back and launch attacks. that's been on their own. the shooting in brussels at the museum last may. what i'm understanding is that belgiums think isis were deeply connected to this group and isis encouraged and directed them to return to europe in retaliation for these air strikes against them in syria and iraq. of course belgium is part of that coalition. belgium is involved with air strikes in iraq. so this appears on the face of it from what belgian authorities are telling me, to be a sis directed plot. certainly there are suspensions at this point. >> up until this point they've been an inspirational moment.
12:46 pm
now they're an operational group. our thanks to you. ongoing terror operations. we reported two men killed one man in custody. much more ahead. introducing data stash. now at t-mobile, all your unused data rolls forward to the next month. we'll even get you started with 10 gigabytes of free 4g lte data. data stash. only from t-mobile.
12:47 pm
12:48 pm
12:49 pm
got some more news just in to us at cnn. the speaker of the house is giving new insight on an alleged plot on american soil. this plot allegedly inspired by isis foiled by the feds. the fbi says 20-year-old christopher lee cornell of cincinnati ohio was planning to detonate pipe bombs in the u.s. capitol building and then shoot down law makers and anyone else who tried to escape. let's go to washington to suzanne malveaux. what exactly did speaker boehner say?
12:50 pm
>> reporter: well we are actually in hershey, pennsylvania. this is where the republicans, the house and senate republicans are meeting for their two-day summit their retreat. very interesting details coming from the speaker. of course they are focusing on trying to reunite the party, get them back together talking about immigration, but we are focusing today on what we saw out of belgium, the foiled terrorist plot out of belgium. the things that we have seen in paris, the isis related attacks and of course the failed attack on the u.s. capitol just yesterday, not to mention a personal threat against the speaker himself by a previous bartender who threatened to actually kill the speaker. so the speaker was asked about the state of security the height of security and this particular threat on the u.s. capitol and brooke previously we have been hearing that there are tweets exchanged between this individual and an fbi informant that said he had this plot that was going to unfold. today we heard from the speaker a very different story. actually suggesting that it was through the nsa's program,
12:51 pm
foreign intelligence surveillance act, that they got information from that particular program that there was something that was afoot and that implies that potentially this is not just a lone wolf somebody who was acting on his own, but potentially making phone calls, reaching out to other people either overseas or talking to some of the bad guys who are here in the country through that act. i want you to listen to what the speaker said very closely. >> the first thing that strikes me is that we would have never known about this had it not been for the fisa program and our ability to collect information on people who pose an imminent threat. i'm going to say this one more time because you're going to hear about it for months and months to come as we attempt to reauthorize the fisa program. our government does not spy on americans unless there are
12:52 pm
americans who are doing things that frankly tip off our law enforcement officials to an imminent threat. law enforcement officials and those programs helped us stop this person before he committed a heinous crime in our nation's capital. >> reporter: so what we're listening to what we're hearing here is a suggestion that this is an individual the fbi or nsa was aware of that they were potentially looking at or listening to over a period of time. he had said that fisa they are trying to reauthorize that act, very controversial, came under fire under president bush previous president bush and this is something that could have been old information or information they have collected over a period of time that may suggest that this is not just an individual who through social media they found out was going to go ahead and attack the capitol this way, but perhaps there were other individuals that were involved that he was
12:53 pm
talking to some real bad actors that potentially were involved in this. brooke? >> suzanne malveaux thank you so much. i stand corrected. hershey, pennsylvania. thank you very much. i appreciate it. we have much more on our breaking news story. major imminent attacks foiled in belgium in a series of raids. we will take you there live next. push your enterprise and you can move the world. ♪ ♪ but to get from the old way to the new you'll need the right it infrastructure. from a partner who knows how to make your enterprise more agile, borderless and secure. hp helps business move on all the possibilities of today. and stay ready for everything that is still to come. please! no. for those headaches that just aren't bad enough for a lot of medicine, there's new excedrin mild headache. 35% less medicine plus a booster to end everyday headaches fast. please! oh, what a headache! actually...my headache's gone.
12:54 pm
excedrin mild headache. wow, that was fast! you just got a big bump in miles. so this is a great opportunity for an upgrade. sound good? great. because you're not you you're a whole airline... and it's not a ticket you're upgrading
12:55 pm
it's your entire operations, from domestic to international... which means you need help from a whole team of advisors. from workforce strategies to tech solutions and a thousand other things. so you call pwc. the right people to get the extraordinary done. ♪ ♪ the attack on "charlie hebdo" the satirical magazine
12:56 pm
offices has led people of all religions to defend freedom of expression freedom of speech. one voice today said there are limits to how far people can go and that message came from this man here, the pope. this is what he said. >> translator: one cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people's faith. one cannot make fun of faith. >> joining me now to talk about this calvin butts, a new york pastor. the pope went on to say there was a limit, every religion has its dignity in freedom of expression there are limits. reverend as a man of faith, do you agree with the pope? >> of course i agree with the pope. this man is spot-on. he knows that you can only push the envelope so far before you are going to get a visceral reaction and much of what we're seeing today is that. i don't think the law should be
12:57 pm
changed. i think people ought to be able to express themselves the way they wish. but you've got to realize that when there are so many people in the world, like catholics, catholics don't like to be insulted baptists don't like to be insulted. >> who likes to be insulted? >> there you go. so i think the pope is a man who is truly seeking peace and he's trying to say look take it easy here. you have freedom of expression but a lot of people are getting hurt behind this. >> do you think bill maher is someone who insults religions all the time to the pope's point, there should be limits on freedom of expression when it comes to religion should people like bill maher be silenced? >> he shouldn't be silenced but bill maher is a court jester a comedian a fool. therefore, i use that in the context of the court jester we understand he's a comedian so we
12:58 pm
laugh at him and dismiss him. he shouldn't be censorred. i am for common sense. i think bill maher ought to exercise and i have heard him exercise a little common sense every now and then. jewish people any more than muslim people any more than christian people we can take a little humor. we can take a little ribbing. takes some sarcasm. but we have to understand that there are limits and the pope is seeking peace. he's trying to calm this thing down so that reasonable people can talk about solutions. >> but those cartoonists at "charlie hebdo" would say this is satire. >> they could say it's satire but even satire has a limit. and most people realize that limit. in this country, i would tell you that if you started making fun of people on a consistent basis after folks said stop of those who are disabled those who are gay, those who are
12:59 pm
black, those who are jewish at some point somebody would say enough is enough. >> one more thing. i still have you for one more minute. the pope also said this quoting him. one cannot react violently but if someone says something bad about my mother he can expect a punch. it's to be expected. his word punch, what did you think? >> i think he was just trying to make a strong point. i don't think the pope is going to swing on anybody. but i think the pope recognizes that there are men and women who will you know -- >> and who have. >> and who have. but i think his strong point and you've got to look at who this man is is he's trying to find a way to calm this down so that so many people don't get hurt. so i applaud the pope. i like this guy. >> he likes this guy. reverend always a pleasure to have you on. come back any time. appreciate you. i'm brooke baldwin here in new york. thank you so much for being with me. john berman of course alongside
1:00 pm
me the last two hours. stay here. we have to go to washington. "the lead" with jake tapper starts now. welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. we begin today with that breaking news in our world lead. striking video from a police raid in belgium that ended with two people dead a third in police custody, all of them suspected terrorists. take a look. that was the scene earlier today in verviers belgium, a little over an hour away from brussels. belgian security forces blitz